Background
Baker was born in London, a son of Captain John Law Baker of the Madras Army, and his wife Caroline Elizabeth Browne.
Baker was born in London, a son of Captain John Law Baker of the Madras Army, and his wife Caroline Elizabeth Browne.
Privately educated he became a stockjobber. He was made a trustee of the London Stock Exchange. The City of London was responsible for the funds of several Latin American emerging economies.
Their decisions saved several governments from anarchy and bankruptcy.
Baker was living at Haydon Hall in Eastcote but bought Ottershaw Park in 1885. Baker was a candidate at least twice at Guildford and Worcester, before being chosen for Frome at short notice in September 1885, on the retirement through illness of Sir Henry Samuelson.
In the Liberal Unionist furore with Joseph Chamberlain"s group, he lost his selection for Frome, replaced by G B Samuelson, a local candidate. But the son, G B Samuelson lost the seat in the 1886 general election to the Conservative Party candidate Lord Weymouth.
He later stood for parliament unsuccessfully in Chertsey.
At by-elections in 1892 he lost to Charles Harvey Combe. When Combe resigned, Baker stood again in 1897. This time Henry Currie Leigh-Bennett was victorious.
In 1898 he became High Sheriff of Surrey.
He built cottages in Bonsey"s Lane at Ottershaw but sold the estate in 1910, after he had put it up for auction unsuccessfully in 1907. He moved for three years to Brantridge Park, Balcome, West Sussex.
In 1910 he settled at Brambridge Park, Twyford, Hampshire where he died at the age of ninety-four. Baker married firstly Ellen Catherine Thompson in 1857.
Lawrence had fourteen children, seven by each marriage.
23rd United Kingdom Parliament]
In the 1885 general election, Baker was elected Member of Parliament for Frome.